Donald Trump surrogate Elon Musk’s provide of 1,000,000 {dollars} to at least one registered voter in a swing state daily till the US Election Day on November 5 has raised questions in regards to the legality of such a transfer.

While Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’s marketing campaign has not commented on the competition, Josh Shapiro, the Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania, mentioned on NBC’s Meet the Press: “I think it’s something that law enforcement should take a look at.”

South Africa-born Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, introduced the competition on Saturday in Pennsylvania, one of many seven “swing states” that may doubtless decide who will turn out to be the following US president – Harris, or Republican Trump.

The contest requires entrants signal a petition “to support free speech & the right to bear arms,” Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk mentioned on X, the social media platform he owns.

The endeavor enters scorching water with the requirement that persons are registered to vote in swing states with a view to take part.

Danielle Lang, a professor at Georgetown Law School who focuses on election legislation, advised AFP the competition may very well be “subject to civil or criminal enforcement by the Department of Justice.”

“It is illegal to give out money on the condition that recipients register as voters,” she mentioned.

“As the terms of this ‘contest’ to win $1 million require the recipient to be a registered voter in one of seven swing states (or to register if they have not already), the offer violates federal law,” she continued.

Grey space

Rick Hasen, a political science professor on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law, expressed an analogous sentiment on his Election Law Blog.

He cited the precise legislation that prohibits anybody who “pays or offers to pay or accepts payment… for registration to vote,” including that the penalty entails a positive of $10 000 or as much as 5 years imprisonment.

Not everyone seems to be of the identical mindset, nevertheless.

Brad Smith, the previous chairman of the Federal Election Commission, advised the New York Times what Musk is doing is “something of a grey area.”

Since Musk just isn’t paying folks to register straight, however slightly for signing a petition, “I think he comes out OK here,” Smith mentioned.

For his half, Musk defends his transfer by saying it’s a easy get out and vote effort.

“We want to make sure that everyone in swing states hears about this and I suspect this will ensure they do,” he wrote on X.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk has pulled out all of the stops in latest weeks to assist former president Trump, together with donating $75 million to a pro-Trump political motion committee and showing at marketing campaign rallies.

“Just go out there and talk to your friends and family and acquaintances and people you meet in the street and… convince them to vote,” he advised the group on the rally the place he introduced the petition contest.

Lang mentioned that schemes akin to these happen “each election cycle.”

“We tend to see some businesses that engage in some questionable activity along these lines (such as offering a free item for showing an ‘I Voted’ sticker) but this is notable for its far larger size,” she mentioned.

Thoughts on Elon Musk backing Donald Trump?

Let us know by clicking on the remark tab beneath this text or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1

You may also comply with @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the most recent US election information.